On Wednesday, January 4, the Pentagon released its revised paid leave policy for parents in the US military. Service members who have been on active or reserve duty for at least a year are now eligible for 12 weeks of paid leave—double the previous allotment. The new policy also drops the distinction between primary and secondary caregivers.

This major step forward for parents in the military is in stark contrast for those in the rest of the country. The US still does not have a national paid leave policy for workers, and remains one of six nations in the world without one. 

The new military parental leave policy was outlined in a memorandum issued by Gilbert R. Cisneros Jr., the Defense Department’s undersecretary for personnel and readiness, per The New York Times. “It is important for the development of military families that members be able to care for their newborn, adopted, or placed child or children,” writes Cisneros Jr. 

Birth parents are eligible for 12 weeks of paid leave following a period of convalescence. Nonbirth parents are also eligible for 12 weeks of paid leave, and have one year to take advantage of leave following the birth of the child. Under the previous policy, birth mothers were eligible for six weeks of convalescent leave and could request an additional six weeks as the “primary caregiver.” Nonbirth parents, described as “secondary caregivers,” were previously eligible for three weeks of leave. 

According to the Times, the revised paid leave policy was mandated by the National Defense Authorization Act of 2022; it closely mirrors the paid leave policy for federal workers, which went into effect in October 2020.

Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), an Air Force veteran, said this week: “I can’t understate how monumental this is for our service members and their families. This new policy ensures that families won’t have to choose between a paycheck and taking care of their newborn child.”